Preface: This writer has suspected for some time that water deliveries from Northern California have been held back in order to try and hold hostage politicians, mainly in Republican strongholds. A strategy right out of Stalin's playbook who manipulated droughts and dried up lakes for political advantage. Radio talk show hosts John and Ken have tried to lead a recall movement of Republicans who backed the Propositions. But those hand full of Republicans who did so were mainly from districts where agricultural water was being withheld: Coachella Valley, Kern County, Apple Valley, etc. DWR is apparently still holding back full water deliveries even though reservoirs are not that far drawn down.
Also curious is that the State Department of Water Resources has now, at long last, finally moved to buy water from farmers north of the Sacramento Delta, to relieve the drought. Only on the eve of the defeat of the Propositions, however, did DWR make this move. It failed to do so in the past two years. Read here:
http://www.sacbee.com/state_wire/story/1872593.html
With the above possible political manipulations in mind read the timely press release below:
May 20, 1009 - The Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced today that it will increase the 2009 State Water Project (SWP) delivery allocation from 30 percent to 40 percent.
Long-term SWP contractors will see an increase from 1,249,913 acre-feet to 1,666,550 acre-feet. This is the final allocation for the calendar year.
“Early May snow and rain improved the water supply situation enough to allow this modest expansion,” said DWR Director Lester A. Snow. “However, this small increase in SWP deliveries does not mean California has overcome the effects of three consecutive dry years. In fact, 2007 to 2009 will likely rank in the top 10 driest three-year periods in the last century. Governor Schwarzenegger’s statewide drought declaration remains in effect and all Californians must heed his call to reduce their water use.” Subsequently, DWR is encouraging its contractors to put increased supplies in storage and pursue conservation measures wherever possible.
SWP contractors requested their maximum allocation this year of 4,166,376 acre feet. Even with a boost to 40 percent, they will receive only slightly more than a third of that amount and must rely on dry water year contingency plans to meet their needs.
Since the State Water Project began allocating deliveries in 1968, there have been only three other final allocations lower than this year’s: 35% in 2008, 39% in 2001 and 30% in 1991.
Lake Oroville, the main reservoir in the SWP system, is still 25 percent below average for this time of year and stands at just 64 percent of capacity. In addition to low water supply conditions caused by drought, a federal court ruling to protect endangered fish species in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta has reduced SWP pumping capacity.
The contractors deliver water to more than 25 million California residents and provide an irrigation source for more than 750,000 acres of farmland.
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